


Rock Candy

by MyGemsonaIsGay



Category: Adventure Time, Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe- No Supernatural, Angst, Gem moms, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Jake As A Service Dog, M/M, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-29
Updated: 2019-11-26
Packaged: 2020-02-09 17:54:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,327
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18643132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyGemsonaIsGay/pseuds/MyGemsonaIsGay
Summary: A move has Finn going to a new school, but with his prosthetic arm and service dog, he stands out. That doesn't bother Steven for a second though as the two quickly become friends and crushes develop. It's hard balancing school, relationships, and your own mental health, but someone's gotta do it. Or, in which Steven becomes friends with and develops feelings for the pretty new boy at school and wants to protect him just as much as he wants to protect Steven.This story also handles PTSD and past abuse/mentions of current abuse, so be warned.





	1. New Friends

**Author's Note:**

> It's been a while since I've written anything so I apologize for it being rusty. This is completely for fun anyway. I hope you enjoy it because I found this pair to be cuter than expected. Sorry if my representation of service animals isn't completely on the mark, I only have an ESA personally and everything I know about psychiatric service dogs comes from friends who have them. Anyway, enjoy, cheers!

            Steven awoke, much like every Monday, to the sounds of video game guns blasting. His eyes blinked hazily, trying to register visual information through the morning light. Turning his head, Steven found his clock that read 5am, far too early to be awake but it wasn’t like Amethyst was about to stop playing Fortnite now.

            “Oh fuck you!” Amethyst yelled from the other side of the wall, no doubt losing a match again. For as much as she played, she wasn’t that great.

            Using this as motivation to get up and take the first shower, Steven pushed himself up and turned, his feet patting against the cold wood floor. After several minutes of staring blankly at the wall, he finally willed himself to his feet and stepped over to his dresser, grabbing a pair of clothes and headed to the bathroom.

            It was an hour before he finally came out, the steam fogging up the mirror, that was fine though he had time to let the room air out before brushing his teeth and doing his hair. It wasn’t like Amethyst took a shower in the morning anyway. Not to mention the smell of breakfast being cooked was already wafting heavily through the house and he couldn’t turn down chocolate chip pancakes.

            Steven stepped into the kitchen, noting that Sapphire was busy at the stove and Ruby was already sat down with her cup of coffee and newspaper. He gave a small smile at his aunts and slid in to take his usual seat at the table. He opened up his mouth to greet the two before a loud knocking could be heard behind him. All three glanced back down the hall to see Pearl standing at Amethyst’s door.

            “Honestly Amethyst, waking up the second the dawn breaks just to get back on your game? You have to get ready for school too! I bet you didn’t even shower last night!” This was typical of Pearl and Amethyst, all but at each other’s throats in the morning. Amethyst was almost late every single morning, and Ruby even drove them to school. High school for Steven, college campus for Amethyst.

            The familiar sound of a pancake being placed on his plate brought Steven back to the table as he glanced up at his long haired aunt, a smile on her lips both in a warming welcome to Steven as well as light amusement from Pearl and Amethyst.

            “Thanks.” Steven smiled back before glancing over at Ruby who looked pissed as usual. “I got another A on my Geology test.” He pointed out, hoping to get up her mood even slightly.

            “That’s wonderful, dear.” Sapphire said from the stove, looking back at the two before nodding at her wife.

            Ruby put down the paper, her features softening a bit even if she did still look agitated. “If you keep this up, we’re going to have to celebrate.” She pointed out, as if it was some form of punishment. But that was just her way of talking, if Steven hadn’t lived with his aunts for so long, he wouldn’t be able to recognize it.

            A small smile slid onto his lips at Ruby before he began digging in. Amethyst’s door clicked open with a huff as she pushed past Pearl to go to the bathroom. At the win, Pearl smiled, happy with herself, before heading to the table to join everyone else.

            “Honestly, she’s the one that signed up for morning classes, I don’t see why she’s so mad at me for being concerned.” Pearl gave a small huff, not really asking for a reply from anyone.

            “She’s still a teenager. She’ll grow out of it.” Sapphire pointed out, placing a pancake on Ruby’s plate before kissing her wife’s cheek. “Plus, we pushed her to go to college anyway, so we’re partly to blame for her sour mood about it.”

            Ruby rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. “She should be grateful that we paid for her to go to college in the first place. Plus, Steven’s a teenager and he’s nowhere near as moody!”

            “Love, enough. We aren’t comparing them.” Sapphire said, her words sounding a bit cold but she sighed all the same. “We’ll talk about this later if it’s worth bringing up. But we’re dropping it because you’re just cranky in the mornings.”

            Giving a small huff, Ruby dropped it and picked the paper back up. She wasn’t about to start a losing argument with her wife this morning.

 

            The car ride to school was the same as usual, Amethyst in the front, still hurriedly brushing her hair, and Steven in the back, gripping his bag a bit. It wasn’t that he hated school, he just didn’t particularly like all the people around and the stuffy hallways. He was more used to being homeschooled by Sapphire, but his best friend had convinced him last year to at least try out school. Hanging out with Connie made going to school a lot more worth it, that was for sure.

            The car stopped and Steven slid out, giving an ‘I love you’ as per usual before sliding on his bag and heading up the stairs to the entrance. He headed in, glancing around a bit before relief washed over him as he saw Connie eating breakfast at a table. He made his way over easily and sat down next to her, a smile on his face.

            “Steven!” Connie smiled at him, already sliding over her Jell-O. He happily took it before she continued, “Yesterday, mom took my dad and me to the beach for a picnic.” She pointed out before going on a small story about the events. Steven didn’t hear the whole thing, glancing around at the students around and hearing through the loud cafeteria, but it had something to do with seeing a whale in the distance and her dad falling into the water fully clothed.

            After a bit through the story though, Steven stopped paying attention altogether as someone walked through the front door. He stood out harshly against all the other students, but wasn’t one Steven had seen before. The kid had an obvious prosthetic arm and a golden dog with a service vest on. He looked a bit lost but a teacher stepped over to him, handing over a piece of paper and talking.

            “Steven.” Connie repeated before the boy next to her realized, his eyes blinking as he glanced over to her.

            “Ah, sorry. I guess I’m still tired and… Kinda distracted?” Steven rubbed the back of his neck and Connie nodded, looking over to the unfamiliar boy across the room before realizing.

            “Oh, wow, I can see why.” She pointed out before humming, “I hope he doesn’t have a hard time making friends.” She stood up, picking up her now empty tray and Steven followed after her.

            “We could be his friends.” Steven perked up a bit, looking up at his taller best friend. She smiled back at him with a nod. It’d be a bit before they could really go talk to him though considering both class was about to start and the new boy was still getting direction from the teacher. Steven knew how hard it was to be new, though he was lucky enough to already know Connie. Though at the same time, he was more the type to make friends pretty easily anyway.

            Connie grabbed Steven’s arm before heading towards their first class. He smiled lightly, glad he had her around, and followed easily. It wasn’t hard to find their usual seats, and their class didn’t have assigned seating so sitting together was easy enough. It felt like class was just about to start before the door opened and the new kid stepped in, dog at his side. The class immediately started up in murmurs before the teacher hushed them and gestured for the new kid to come over.

            “Class, we have a new student, his name’s Finn and he’ll be joining us from today. I want you all to give him a warm welcome. He also has a service dog, and it’s important that none of you disturbs him while he’s working, alright?” The teacher stepped out from behind her desk and glanced around the room before pointing over to the desk by the window, “You can take that seat, over by Steven. If you need anything for materials or if you’re confused about something, you have permission to ask him but you both must keep it at a whisper, got it?” The boy, Finn, nodded his head and moved to step over before the teacher caught him again, “And no hoods in the classroom.” She stated before returning to her desk.

            Finn paused only for a second before tugging his white hood down, long golden hair cascading down his shoulders as he did. He then slid over to his new desk, pulling out what he needed for class. His dog obediently sat down next to him, seeming to keep an eye on Finn.

            It was about halfway through class before Steven glanced over and noticed the other seemed to be struggling with the handout. He leaned over quietly and hummed. “Ah, you didn’t get the formula did you.” Steven whispered to the other. Finn seemed to flinch a bit which made his dog look back at him, but he was fine.

            “Uh, yeah. We weren’t… This advanced at my last school.” Finn gave a small chuckle, trying to keep it in a whisper. Steven gave a smile and nodded before pulling over a scrap piece of paper and placing it on Finn’s desk.

            “It’s fine, I know what that feels like.” Steven pointed out, though it was more that when he came to this school, he was more advanced and had to learn how to calculate things in a more basic way. He scratched down the formula and explained how to go through it in the most basic of terms. Finn seemed to understand easily and started to solve the first equation. Steven kept an eye on him while he did and smiled when the other came out with the right answer. “Wow, you’re really smart.” He pointed out before sitting up a bit. “Alright, I’ll let you solve the rest.”

            Finn gave a nod at that and went back to solving the handout, more confident now that he actually knew how to do it.

 

            After a few more classes, and Finn being in most of them though not sitting near him, it was finally lunch.

            Connie was the first to sit down, finding their usual table and taking her place at it. Steven stood in line with a hum. Sometimes Sapphire made his lunch, and sometimes she ran short on time. It never bothered Steven though, she was getting more and more shifts at the hospital lately after all.

            Finn seemed a bit lost, standing a few paces back in line. Steven only paused a second before moving back, letting the people in front of Finn cut in line before standing by the blonde’s side. Finn seemed to snap out of it and smiled at Steven, a familiar face.

            “I just figured you could use a bit of navigation.” Steven offered, handing over a lunch tray. Finn took it gratefully, luckily having the use of his hand and prosthetic one, his dog’s leash tied to his waist.

            “Thanks. I know how to get lunch, it’s just…” He trailed off, likely not wanting to say that he had nowhere to sit. Steven waved off the thought though and headed through the line with him.

            “Come on, I’ll introduce you to Connie.” Steven smiled, leading Finn over to the mostly empty table. Connie lit up when she saw the two of them, putting a book away.

            “Hey Steven, you brought a friend.” The dark-haired girl greeted the two, a smile sliding onto her lips.

            Steven slid into the seat next to her and Finn next to him. The golden dog sat easily between them, obviously trained and ready for service. “This is Finn, and uh…” Steven paused as he looked at the dog and then over to Finn, not knowing his name.

            “Jake.” Finn introduced, glancing down at his companion, “He’s working so don’t mess with him, but he’s my little buddy.”

            “I wasn’t going to; I know people with service dogs, so I know the rules.” Steven pointed out before gesturing over to the girl, “Finn, Jake, this is Connie. Now we can all be friends.” A smile that could only be described as a grin slid onto his features as he introduced his new friends to each other.

            Finn smiled back at the two and leaned over, easily shaking Connie’s hand before going back to his meal.

            It was a surprisingly loud lunch this time around, not like Connie and Steven’s usual meals which mostly consisted of lighthearted chatting about the most recent news. It was a lot of getting to know a new person, his interests especially. They found that he played the flute and had band with them, along with liking art despite being pretty horrible at it. Steven explained that he collected rocks and played the guitar and even promised to play with Finn some time.

            By the end of it, no one from the new trio wanted to leave, but lunch was ending quickly. It was in the last few minutes that Connie remembered that they could all trade numbers together, and so they did. Steven even added ‘and Jake’ to Finn’s contact, loving having the dog be part of it, even if he was working and thus couldn’t socialize himself.

            Leaving with a final promise to kick each other’s butts at Mario Kart later, the three headed off to their classes which ended up not being together. They shared band and had two other classes before school was finally over for the day.

 

            Steven flopped down on his bed, utterly exhausted socially. It was a great day, managing to make a new friend. It was both exhausting and completely exhilarating at the same time. Finn even texted out a smiley face to Connie and Steven to make sure the three of them put their numbers in correctly.

            He was on the verge of a nap when a light knock came from the door. Steven paused before getting up and opening the door. It was just Pearl, Sapphire was likely on another shift.

            “Steven, you look tired, what’s wrong? Are you sick?” Pearl frowned but Steven just smiled back at her, waving his hand.

            “I’m fine, just tired. Did you need something?” He asked, already knowing she was going to ask him to come eat dinner, it was routine at this point.

            “Ruby and Sapphire are still at work, so I made dinner. Amethyst refuses to eat anything but popcorn and chips right now…” She sighed, obviously still a bit frustrated, “So please could you at least join me?”

            “I wouldn’t skip dinner with my favorite aunt for anything.” Steven slid past Pearl, giving another smile as he headed to the table.

            It was a pretty quiet dinner without Amethyst or Ruby, but Steven was a bit grateful for that considering how drained he was at this point. He’d have to get his homework done in the morning. Considering he’d likely wake up at 5am again though, that wasn’t something he needed to worry about.

            After dinner, like routine, Steven happily got into some pajamas and fell asleep like a rock.


	2. I Don't Want To Go Home

            The golden light seeped into the room, bathing everything in the soft glow of the dawn. Finn laid on his bed, Jake sleeping comfortably on his own little bed in the corner of the room. It was a moment of peace, as most mornings were.

**_And Autumn comes when you’re not yet done with the summer passing by~_ **

**_But~_ **

**_I don’t think I could stand to be… Where you don’t see me-_ **

            Finn’s hand managed to find his phone, clicking off his alarm tiredly. It was Marceline’s new song which she obviously had Bonnibel in mind for. His eyes slid open as he tried to focus on the ceiling above himself. It was nothing but a plain white, almost feeling sterile. His whole room felt almost foreign since it was new and he still hadn’t managed to unpack everything to make it more roomy.

            It had been almost a week now since he started at his new school. Luckily, he quickly became friends with Connie and Steven which really saved him. He was used to the stares he got by now, but he wished he didn’t have to be. All because of the accident.

            Finn shook the thought from his head and he slid out of bed, opening his bedroom door before pointing out of it. “Jake, search.” The dog didn’t even hesitate before heading out of the bedroom to give the house a once-over. While waiting for Jake, Finn slid over to where he kept his arm, carefully strapping it in place and making sure it was comfortable. It was routine, but a comfortable routine.

            When Jake finally came back, Finn smiled a second before pausing. He had a pair of shoes in his mouth, which was a sign that he wasn’t alone in the house. His chest tightened and he pointed back out of his room, his voice quieter this time. “Put them back.” Jake understood and headed out of the room quickly. With any luck, Martin would be asleep at least. It was easier when he was gone, everything was easier when he was gone.

            Finn took a practiced breath and shut the door when Jake came back. He was sure to be quiet, last thing he wanted was to actually see his father. He changed quickly, grabbed his bag, and slid on Jake’s harness before clipping him up. He was shaking when he touched the handle of his door, but Jake nudged his hip lightly which kept him stable. He turned the nob and the door opened and it was practiced movements from there. Quiet feet, careful glancing, and finally a silent escape from the house. His heart pounded all the way down the street, and it didn’t calm down until he found himself inside of the school.

            He pulled his hood up a bit more, covering himself as much as he could so he could feel more protected. He knew the school didn’t like him wearing a hood, but it was early enough in the morning anyway. When Finn looked around, he noticed that only a few people were here, and Connie hadn’t even come yet.

            Finn moved and sat down at their usual table all the same, yawning a bit as he took out a notebook to doodle. He hated mornings where his dad was home, he hurriedly left the house as soon as he could and ending up being early was common. He knew that he wasn’t going to want to go home after school too, maybe he could wonder around the town and explore it a bit. There was a bit of a forest behind the school which looked pretty promising.

            After a minute, he paused, realizing that he hadn’t texted his friends to let them know he was here. It was something they decided to start doing, but he was usually the last to get to school. He pulled out his phone, finding their group conversation.

            F: yo. made it here before u guys.

            C: Woah! Hey, I haven’t even brushed my teeth yet!

            S: haha, looks like finn broke your record!

            C: :(

            F: aw don’t b sad. i just woke up early! its whatevs, just a fluke.

            S: i bet i’ll get there before you too!

            C: You wish! My mom’s starting the car as I type!

            S: nooooo DX

            S: amethyst isn’t budging!

            C: >:)

            Finn couldn’t help but smile at his friends, getting back to his very crude doodle of a dog. It was nothing special, his art never really was. Once he was done, he put down a collapsible bowl and put some food in it for Jake, not wanting at least one of them to miss breakfast.

            It was only about ten minutes before Connie came through the front door, a few more students having filled out the cafeteria, but they still had a while until first period.

            “I made it!” She chuckled, taking a seat next to Finn before pulling out her own notebook, seeming to be checking over her homework. “Steven will never get here before me.” She smiled before glancing over to Finn, “So why’d you get here so early? Forget you lived close or something?”

            He wasn’t sure if she was genuinely curious or just making conversation, but either way the real answer was uncomfortable anyway. “Oh… Uh well I was taking Jake out for his morning walk, but he dragged me all the way here. I figured since I already had my bag, I might as well just stay. I live pretty far anyway.”

            Connie paused, making a face like she was unsatisfied with that answer before shrugging, “Well don’t make a habit of it, or else I’m going to lose my title of being the first one here.” She gave a light chuckle, but her words were obviously laced with something else. Maybe she hadn’t believed him, or maybe she really did care about being here before her friends. Finn wasn’t experienced enough with being the girl’s friend to know exactly what it was, so he elected to just ignore it.

            Finn nodded all the same though, going back to doodling. “I’ll be careful not to let Jake take me to school by accident.” He smiled back at her and the conversation when quiet.

 

            Steven stepped through the doors a half hour later, taking his spot on the other side of Finn. The blonde smiled, “Hey dude.” He greeted, Steven giving a short wave in return before laying his head down on the table.

            Steven groaned lightly and Connie furrowed her brow, reaching over to touch his forehead. “Steven? Are you sick?” She frowned at him, but he chuckled lightly and batted her hand away gently.

            “Sapphire made a whole stack of pancakes because Amethyst got an A yesterday.” He sat up a bit, “And I ate… So many.” The three of them laughed together at that. “Oh!” Steven sat up a bit too fast, moving to hold the table so he wouldn’t accidentally get too dizzy from his food coma. “What are you two doing after school?” His whole mood changed, getting excited a bit.

            “Hmm. Nothing, my mom finally gave me a weekend off.” Connie smiled and Steven turned his attention to Finn.

            “Oh well… I was going to go explore the woods. I’ve been missing my old woods a lot lately.” He shrugged, “But other than that, I guess I’m free. Did you have something in mind?”

            “Well it’s Friday and we all became friends on Monday, so obviously, we’re overdue for that Mario Kart challenge. So maybe we could explore the woods a bit and then come back and crush each other!” Steven seemed more excited to hang out than really anything else. Finn was sure that to the other it didn’t really matter what they did. “Plus, Friday is a prime time to have a sleep over.”

            Finn couldn’t help but crack a smile at that. It felt like such a grade-schooler thing to say and do, but it was endearing in a way. Not to mention hanging out and even staying the night at someone’s house would mean he didn’t have to go home. Normally he’d call Marceline and ask to stay over, but it felt weird now that she was living with her girlfriend.

            “Sure, I don’t have anything going on anyway.” Finn replied, shrugging.

            “I’ll have to double check on the staying the night, but mom usually lets me so it should be fine.” Connie shrugged as well. It was a plan then.

 

            Fridays always felt like they dragged on. All you wanted was to just finish and go out and have fun, but the clock ticked away like a snail running a marathon. It’ll finish eventually, but it’s somehow slower than you expect and is boring to watch.

            Eventually though, the final bell rang and Finn packed away his things. He was quick to get up and head back to the trio’s usual table in the cafeteria, finding Connie and Steven already waiting. Connie was holding her hand above Steven’s head and the shorter of the two crossed his arms, causing Finn to raise a brow as the two noticed him.

            “Finn!” Connie said excitedly, still holding up her hand, “I’m 6 inches taller than him, right?”

            “It’s closer to 4!” Steven squawked back.

            An amused smile slid onto Finn’s lips as he shook his head. “I think Steven’s right, but you’ll have to break out the tape measure to be sure. Why do you two even care though? You’re both shorter than me.” His smile moved to a smirk, even if he knew he was wrong. Connie was definitely the tallest of them, Finn a close second, and Steven coming in last. Not that height even mattered that much.

            Steven went with the joke though. “Obviously, you’ve got to be like two inches taller than Connie!”

            It wasn’t even a convincing lie and all three laughed together again before heading out of the school together.

            “When pigs fly.” Connie insisted before pointing to a path from the school. “Anyway, we should get back to what we were doing. Mom said I could stay the night too so we’re all clear.”

            Steven nodded at that, “I already told Sapphire and Pearl that you two were probably staying the night.” He pointed out before glancing at Finn, “What about you? Did you tell your mom.”

            Finn paused, still walking, brows furrowing for a second. He didn’t exactly have a mom, and it’s not like he was going to tell his dad, not that he even cared. He forced a smile all the same. “Yeah it’s fine.” He answered easily and glanced over to Steven who had his own unreadable expression but seemed to brush it off.

            “Then we’re good to go.” Steven hummed as they stepped into the first patch of trees.

            Finn glanced around a bit, feeling a bit more at home with all the trees around. Jake seemed to agree as he sniffed at the ground, fallen trees, and really anything he could find. It was cute and amusing.

            “It’s not a proper forest, but it’s enough.” Finn pointed out, looking around and taking everything in. “Even Jake agrees.”

            Connie nodded, picking up a stick and crouching down to draw in the dirt. Steven quickly joined her. Finn pushed his hood off so he could see better before crouching down next to the other two to see what they were doing. Steven was drawing flowers and Connie had drawn a big heart with all of their first initials in it. “It’s a friendship heart.” She explained and the other two laughed.

 

            The three explored the small ‘forest’ for a while. Before they knew it, it was just the same trees and bushes over and over again. Finn had let his hair down a while ago and the newly setting sun was giving it a golden glow.

            “Wow, you look like a forest fairy or something.” Connie pointed out, grabbing out her phone to take a picture. “Hold still, this is one for the scrap book.

            Finn couldn’t help but chuckle at that and Connie took a picture before pausing and giving a small hiss of breath. “Oh shit.” She frowned and the two boys looked back at her.

            “Is something wrong?” Steven asked, obviously concerned and even Finn walked closer. It was rare for Connie to cuss so openly, though it wasn’t like they were little kids either.

            “Four missed calls from mom.” She sighed and the other two gave a small breath of relief all the same. “I’ve got to call her back real quick, one second.” She took a few steps back as she clicked on her mom’s contact to call her.

            The two boys looked between each other before deciding on giving her more privacy. They turned and took a few steps further down the path. “Is she gonna be okay?” Finn asked, a frown on his face.

            “Oh. Yeah, no it’s probably nothing bad. Her mom just worries about her, you know how moms are.” Steven chuckled, but Finn didn’t. The shorter boy furrowed his brows at this and stopped. “Is… Something wrong? You seem kind of weird when I mention your mom.” He tilted his head.

            “I just… Ugh.” Finn shrugged, “It’s kinda heavy I guess, but I don’t have a mom. So it’s weird to talk about moms I guess. I’m not saying you can’t talk about your mom, I’m just saying that I don’t really have a mom to talk about.” He pointed out.

            “Oh.” Steven gave a small sigh, understanding. His brows were still furrowed a bit, in worry that he upset the other more than anything. “I don’t have one either. I get it.” He gave a small, reassuring smile to the other and Finn just blinked.

            “But you… Talk about someone making you breakfast a lot, and someone else taking you to school, and another person always complaining about your… Sister?” Finn supposed he might be a bit confused by what kind of structure Steven’s family had.

            “You thought I have three moms? I wouldn’t call my 3 moms by their real names.” Steven chuckled at that and Finn smiled back.

            “If I had three poly moms, I wouldn’t know what to call them!” Finn chuckled back.

            “No, I live with my aunts. Only two of them are together, the third one just helps take care of me and Amethyst. Oh, and Amethyst is my cousin. She’s the one with two moms.” He smiled at that and shook his head, “Having three moms would be great though.” Steven pointed out. Finn simply nodded in agreement.

            Connie sighed as she hung up, turning back to the two boys who turned to face her. “Aunt Pearl told my mom that it’s not just you I’m staying the night with.” She pointed out and Steven frowned.

            “What? But we’ve been sleeping over since we were kids!” Steven complained.

            “I know! But remember how many questions my mom asked you when we first started staying the night? And she won’t even let you stay in my room, even now! But yeah… She and dad insist upon meeting Finn before they’ll let me stay over. Because, you know…” Connie did her best to mimic her mother’s voice, “Connie, if you get pregnant before you graduate high school, we’ll kill him and be very disappointed in you.” She crossed her arms. “As if I’m even interested in doing that.”

            Steven frowned and patted her back lightly. He was about to open his mouth to say something before Finn hummed, “You could always tell them that I’m gay.” He pointed out.

            The two others paused and looked back at him. They didn’t think about that, but it wasn’t completely likely to work. “Well… But are you?” Connie asked, tilting her head.

            Finn held his hand out and twisted up and down a few times, “Depends who you ask, but a lot of people say bi is half gay so… About half gay then.”

            Connie chuckled at that and nodded, “Well, I don’t want to upset mom by arguing with her right now, so I’ll call it a night for now. But I’ll see if saying you’re gay works out, but you’ll probably still have to have a weird interview with my parents before they let me stay the night with you… Even if I’m at Steven’s house.” She pointed out, grabbing her bag from where she left it on the ground. “I’ll see at least one of you tomorrow.” Connie said before jogging down the path back to the school, assumedly where her mom was going to go pick her up.

            Finn gave a small chuckle all the same and started walking with Steven. “Come on, we should go before it actually gets dark.”

            “I can call Ruby to come pick us up!” Steven offered, already grabbing his phone because who would turn down a ride. The two headed out of the forest, ready for some Mario Kart and a sleep over.


	3. The Sleepover

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this chapter is quite a bit shorter than the others. I promise the next chapter shall be back to typical length!  
> Cheers!

            Finn stepped into the room, bringing Steven out of his thoughts. The shorter turned and noted that the blonde had changed into the borrowed pajamas. Golden hair cascading down Steven’s pink t-shirt and complete with a pair of Amethyst’s black sweats she let him borrow. Steven was a good bit shorter than Finn so any pants he borrowed would be nowhere near as comfortable as his cousin’s sweats. Jake had long since gotten his harness taken off and elected to sleep in the corner. It seemed that Finn put him off duty, but Steven wasn’t going to go and pet him since he wasn’t even sure if that was okay.

                        “Do you have people stay over a lot?” Finn asked, moving to sit on the bed next to Steven.

            “Oh, just Connie. She used to stay over way more often, but her mom really wants her to focus on school and getting into a good college.” Steven shrugged, “And I guess maybe she doesn’t trust me now that Connie and I are older. When Connie stays over, we aren’t allowed to sleep in my room.” He pointed out, giving a small shrug before it turned into a smile and a controller was pressed into Finn’s hand, “But that’s why it’s cool to have you over. So we can sit around and play video games as long as we want.” He pointed out as he grabbed his own controller.

            Finn took the controller carefully, nodding, “Do you get pushed into going to a good school too?” He asked curiously, already selecting his character for Mario Kart.

            At that, Steven gives a bit of a small snort, shaking his head, “I wouldn’t say pushed. Ruby and Sapphire care a lot about me and want me to go to a good school, but it’s not like they’re forcing me to do anything. They know that I’m old enough to know what I want to do, whether or not I even want to go to college. And I do!” He gives a small smile, “I want to teach music, mostly to kids. Music helped me a lot when I was a kid so I thought it’d be cool to teach other people so maybe it’ll help them.”

            Finn smiled back at that, their conversation completely juxtaposed with their violent racing battle raging on in front of them. It was only a few moments later before the blonde replied easily. “I want to be a doctor. I want to help people, like my mom used to.” He gripped the controller a bit tighter and his character managed to fall off the map with his distraction, “I want to be nothing like my dad. I want to actually make something of myself.”

            The brunet frowned at that, glancing over at the other before continuing back with the game. “I’m sure you’re more like your mom anyway.” He pointed out, trying to bring the focus back to his mom, “I’ve been told the same. I think it’s a good thing, mostly. I know she did some bad stuff, but her heart was in the right place I think. I don’t know, she died when I was born.” He pointed out, not managing to keep the conversation as light as he hoped.

            All the same though, Finn seemed to visibly relax a bit, sighing lightly in response. “I technically met my mom, but I was way too young to remember. I found out my dad left her in the middle of the night to run from shady people and never contacted her again. He told me it was to protect her but…” He trailed off, huffing when the conversation just looped back to his dad. He frowned, concentrating a bit more on the game. “Anyway, my mom apparently died not long after that. Got really sick. But I never got to actually meet her.” He passed the finish line, coming in seventh and snorted lightly, glancing over to Steven who was frowning. “Sorry.”

            The brunet shook his head and looked back, “You don’t need to apologize. I brought it up.” He managed to get a smile out, “I guess we’re more similar than I thought we’d be.” The shorter pointed out before getting up to grab a stack of DVDs. “Why don’t we watch a movie or something? We should be going to bed soon anyway.”

            Finn quietly agreed, looking through the stack of movies with the other. It would probably be better if they didn’t linger on the subject of moms for too long, especially if Finn’s was just going to get back to his dad. Last thing he wanted was for Martin to ruin yet another thing, this time being a sleepover with his new friend.

 

            They were on their second movie. Sapphire and Ruby had come in partly through and made up a futon on the floor for their guest and stocked it with spare pillows and blankets before also adding some snacks and drinks to the two teens. Before they left, they gave a small peck to Steven’s forehead before heading out of the room to leave the two alone. Finn was a bit jealous by the exchange, but also glad that his new friend had this type of family. It was good that he wasn’t alone.

            “Hey… Uh I have a weird question.” Steven interrupted the blonde’s thoughts and he turned to look at the other.

            “Weird questions are my specialty.” Finn pointed out, giving a half smirk at the other before shrugging his shoulder, “What is it?”

            “Well… I just wanted to know if I could braid your hair- You can say no! It’s just that Connie used to let me when she had long hair and I like having something to do with my hands.” He gave a short pause before his cheeks flushed lightly and he shook his head, “No. Forget what I said.”

            “Nah.” The reply was simple and had Steven looking back up to the other’s blue eyes. “I don’t mind. My friends do it sometimes too, especially since Marceline cut off most of her hair. I think it’s just a long hair thing.” He pointed out gathering up his hair and grabbing a few hair ties from his bag.

            Steven was a bit surprised but happily stood up and moved to sit at the edge of his bed behind the other, his legs on either side of Finn’s arms as he returned to his position. Finn’s hair was a lot softer and smoother than Connie’s, but that almost made it harder to work with. His practiced fingers didn’t skip a beat dragging through the long, untangled locks before separating the sections into three different parts. The blonde seemed to relax at the same time as well since he ended up leaning back against the bed.

            The two stayed in the comfortable silence for a while as Steven braided, unbraided, and rebraided Finn’s hair a few times to try and get a perfect braid. Not that it’d last long anyway but the other didn’t tell him to stop and it was nice having something to do with his hands for a while. It wasn’t until the movie ended that he finally removed his hands from his friend’s hair and sat back, glancing at the clock. It was quickly becoming past 11pm at this point. Both boys were yawning and stretching a bit.

            It wasn’t until Jake yawned in the corner that Finn gave a small snort, “I guess that’s a good of a cue as any. We should go to bed.” He pointed out, pulling away from the other to lay down on the futon.

            As if on cue, Steven gave a yawn right after, stretching himself out as well, “Yeah, I guess you’re right.” He mumbled, reaching over to click off his lamp. The only light in the room coming from under the bedroom door and into the hallway.

            “’Night.” Finn shifted to his side, glancing up at Steven before closing his eyes.

            “Goodnight.” Steven returned.


	4. Sick Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took me a bit to be satisfied with this chapter. Thanks for your patience!

            Out of any day, Monday was probably the best to get sick, and Friday was the worst. Being sick of Monday meant pushing classes off another day and relaxing in bed, at least as much as coughing and sniffling allowed one to relax. Being sick on Friday meant being sick throughout the weekend and having no time for friends.

            A good mid-point between the two was being sick on a Wednesday, which currently, Finn was. Everything was too cold, and he knew he had a fever without being able to check. He managed to take Jake out, give him food and water, and grab his phone before returning to the warmth of his bed. Martin wasn’t back thankfully; he had gone out again a few days ago. It’d be hell to be stuck at home both sick and with his father here. He’d have to forge a note for tomorrow once he felt better. For now, he pulled up his blankets, having woken up closer to noon after going back to bed this morning to sleep off his fever.

            7:42AM The Crystal Guardians (Group)

            C: Haha! She strikes again! I even ran late this morning and I still made it first!

            S: i’ll accept my fate

            S: living with amethyst means i’ll never be first

            S: :(

           

            7:55AM Steven Master Jell-O Thief

            S: did you sleep in?

            S: i didn’t think you were serious about playing video games all night!

            S: i’ll bring your homework so you better get some sleep!

           

            11:31AM Connie Homework Wizard

            C: You better not have slept in!

            C: I won’t hesitate to call upon the great ‘mom voice’.

            C: I know I have a ‘sleep is important so don’t stay up all night’ lecture in me somewhere.

 

            Finn couldn’t help the small chuckle that left his lips at that, his chest warming a bit at them. He was glad he made friends quickly, and with the right people too.

            11:37AM The Crystal Guardians (Group)

            F: sorry forgot to say b4 i fell asleep.

            F: im sick.

            S: :o!!

            F: not from playing games all night.

            F: i didn’t get that far in the dungeon.

            C: Are you eating alright?

            Finn paused at that, not having people be too concerned about him when he was sick before. He sniffled a bit and grabbed a tissue as he thought about his response. It wasn’t like there was much in the kitchen, especially soup. If he had the energy he could make some toast.

            S: i’ll bring you something when i bring your homework!

            C: Yeah, what do you have? A cold?

            F: u don’t have 2 do that. i’ll b ok.

            F: yea just a simple cold nbd.

            C: Lunch is going to be over soon, so we’ll figure something out. Get back to bed!

            F: ok ok.

            Finn gave a small chuckle at that. His friends were obviously worried, though he figured they shouldn’t be. It was a little cold; he had never had someone actually worry about him over a cold before. But he wanted to take their advice anyway and get some more sleep. His eyes closed as he turned over. His phone was set aside, and he drifted off again.

 

            The next thing to wake Finn up was the sound of a knock at his door. His eyes peeked open slowly. At first his chest filled with panic until he realized that it wasn’t his bedroom door and Jake was sitting out by the front door obediently as if to signal that it was okay. The blonde took a long minute before getting up and out of bed, still in his pajamas of sweatpants and a tank top, before he went to the front door. His fever already felt like it had gone down at least a bit by this point.

            There was no peephole so the only way to find out who was on the other side of the door was to open it. He did so carefully, taking a second before he realized he recognized the two on the other side. Connie stood with a bag slung off her arm and Steven stood beside her, large Tupperware in hand.

            “We texted you.” Connie pointed out, looking a bit embarrassed, “But you might not have gotten the message. We should have called to let you know we were coming over instead of just texting. Sorry. We were worried.”

            A small smile played on Finn’s lips and he shook his head, opening up the door, “No, it’s okay.” He took a second to glance around and make sure Martin wasn’t around, and no shoes were in the entry way to indicate that he was. “How’d you get my address?” He asked as the two friends came in.

            “It was still in Ruby’s GPS!” Steven blurted, setting the bowl he was holding onto the counter. The two were looking around, taking in the sight of their newer friend’s mostly vacant house for the first time. “Sorry, probably should have actually asked you for the address.”

            It was considerate, definitely, but he didn’t mind the round-about way anyway. “It’s okay. What’d you bring?” The taller boy asked, definitely more sluggish than usual. He also didn’t have his arm on, but that wasn’t a bother to him since he was just around friends. He suspected he’d have to put it on soon though if that container of food was meant for him. Holding a bowl and eating with one arm wasn’t easy.

            “I asked Sapphire for some soup since it was her day off. I told her it was for you, so she made a lot.” Steven chuckled before gesturing over to the bag Connie had set down, “We got you medicine since we didn’t know if you had any… And a medical kit from Sapphire just in case.” He pointed out, pulling the objects from the bag.

            Connie busied herself with finding the bowls and silverware, bringing one out for each of them before filling the bowls. She noted the lack of actual food but elected not to bring it up. Steven grabbed the medical bag and opened it up so he could pull out a thermometer and hand it over to Finn. The latter of the boys was a bit embarrassed by the light attempt at his friends taking care of him but would feel more awkward making a big deal about it since they hadn’t. He placed it in his mouth and waited. He leaned against the table, watching the two. It was weirdly domestic but he tried not to think about that too much.

            Once the thermometer beeped, Finn pulled it from his mouth and Connie took it to inspect it. “100. Not the worst, but definitely a light fever. I’m going to prescribe you soup and bed rest.” She stated.

            Finn couldn’t help but smile at that, “Can do Dr. Maheswaran.” He gave a small nod before getting up and heading back to his bedroom for a second. He pulled his fabric cover on before sliding his arm into place and strapping it easily to his shoulder before heading back out. The amount he could move it on its own was impressive enough, but it was still a far cry from the real thing. That didn’t stop it from making it far easier to eat soup though.

            The three sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes before Connie spoke up, the two still glancing around a bit at their new surroundings. “So, your dad not home I take it?”

            Finn took a second, trying not to instantly panic at the idea of Martin being home, and Jake came up to nudge against his hip at the noticeable distress. He recovered quickly though, shaking his head as he ran his fingers through his bed-ruffled hair. “No. He’s usually not.” He stated simply and evenly as if it was a normal thing in every household.

            “Oh. That sucks.” The dark haired girl frowned, glancing down at her soup.

            Finn shook his head though, taking another bite, wishing he could lose himself in the amazing cooking of Steven’s aunt. “No, it’s fine. I prefer it anyway.”

            “Well yeah, but when someone in your family is around but also can’t be because they’re too busy, that sucks.” Connie stated, it becoming clear that she wasn’t completely understanding the situation. Maybe she thought he just works a lot. She paused a beat before her brows furrowed and she looked over at Steven, “I… Sorry I didn’t mean-“

            “No.” The brown-haired boy stated, smile still on his face despite the obvious discomfort this conversation was turning into. “I know my dad can’t visit all the time.” The smallest bit of a furrow in his brow gave away his true feelings, and Finn was realizing that it was becoming easier to read him. Or at least, this situation was familiar enough to the blonde that he could figure it out himself.

            Steven didn’t often talk about his dad, mostly just bits and pieces scattered about their conversations. Finn was curious, honestly their situations were similar enough already, plus getting to know more things about Steven was… Preferable he’d say. Before he could think much on it, he found himself stating, “What’s he like?”

            The pair looked between each other and their abandoned soup for a minute. Steven gave a small hum in recollection as he pushed the bowl away. “My dad’s a good guy. He used to be a rock star and traveled around to sing. He met my mom at one of his concerts.” The shorter teen’s fingers flexed on the table just the slightest bit, easy to miss. “He was a free spirit and doesn’t want to settle down. Bad environment for someone to be raised in. After mom died he couldn’t really take care of me and I think he still feels guilty which is why he doesn’t visit me as often as he could.” He pointed out.

            “He’s busy-“ Connie tried to interject but Steven gave her a look, tired and like he didn’t want to argue about this. Finn was sure they’d had dozens of conversations about this, just like he’d had with his own friends. It took a while for Bonnie to accept that Finn’s dad was just a terrible person. It was mostly Marceline that convinced her, her own fatherly issues bringing it to light.

            Finn tapped his fingers together a minute, metal against flesh, and he thought of what he could say or do. He could talk about his own dad, it would definitely help, but was he ready. His deep blue eyes glanced up a minute to stare into soft brown and impossibly dark brown eyes before he decided to just go with the mood of the conversation. “Martin isn’t home because he doesn’t want to be. No excuse, especially not work, he just doesn’t want to be.” He stated simply, pushing his own soup away from himself. The two shifted to look at Finn this time, neither too sure what to say.

            “It’s better when he’s not here anyway. Jake has to work twice as hard; I have to focus on not panicking…” Finn paused, feeling like he was saying too much but too little at the same time. Jake nudged him again, keeping his mind from wandering too much. He wasn’t sure he could continue, laying his hands flat on the table, but then he felt warmth over one of his hands. He looked up, noting that Connie had put hers over his hand and Steven had put his over his metal one. They were both giving him a look of comfort and safety. If he wanted to keep talking, he could; if he wanted to stop, he could. It was nice to know.

            Both his hands flipped, holding back as he was quiet a long few minutes. He decided to keep the rest to himself for now, especially since Connie’s phone had buzzed aggressively three times now and she was seeming to ignore it so that they could keep talking.

            By the fourth buzz, she gave a small sigh and slipped her hand away so that she could grab her phone already knowing who it was. “Looks like my hour is up, I have to go.” She answered it, stepping to the hall for a second for her hushed conversation. All the while Steven kept his hand locked with Finn’s prosthetic one.

            After a minute, Connie stepped back over, stopping in front of Finn’s chair. She gave him a sympathetic look before holding out her arms to him in what was unmistakably a ‘hug’ gesture. The blonde cracked a smile at that and moved to get up, his hand slipping from Steven’s in the process. He could get back to that later, but for now he received a warm and comforting hug from the tall girl. She pulled back after a second and squeezed his shoulder lightly, “You better take your medicine.” She stated, smile on her face and he only smiled back at her before she headed back out with a ‘bye’.

            Finn was about to sit down again when he turned around and saw Steven, holding out his arms as well. A small chuckle left his lips and he hugged his friend back, this one much tighter and warmer than the first. “You know, you two are going to get sick if you aren’t careful.” The blonde pointed out, hugging back until the smaller teen pulled back after a minute.

            “It’ll be worth it. Now finish your soup.” Looks like he had two mom friends to worry about. He didn’t mind though, going right back to his chair to finish his newly cooled soup. It was still amazing no matter what temperature.

 

            Once the two were done, the rest of the soup went to the fridge and Finn swallowed down the cold medicine while Steven washed the dishes. Finn said he could do it, but Steven insisted, and the blonde wasn’t up for an argument about dishes. Especially with the friend who just brought over his aunt’s homemade soup and some medicine to help him.

            Once everything was put away, drying, and Jake was let out, the two moved to sit on Finn’s bed. The blonde insisted he wasn’t tired and resting would be impossible so proposed a movie instead. Of course, a lot of his movies were horror themed which he warned Steven of in advance. “I’m telling you, you’re going to get sick.” The blonde pointed out again, grabbing one of the older zombie movies he knew wouldn’t be too bad.

            “And I’m telling you it’s worth it.” Steven insisted. “It sucks to be sick and alone.” He pointed out, settling against the pillows as the movie started up.

            “That doesn’t mean you should get sick too.” Finn complained, glancing back at the other before settling next to him since there really wasn’t any other place.

            “Well, you’ll just have to bring me the rest of your cold medicine if I get sick and you’ll have to watch movies with me. Sounds like a win/win to me.” The shorter teen chuckled, watching the black and white screen in front of the bed.

            “You don’t want me to make you soup though. I’ll leave that to your aunts.” Finn retorted, glancing back at the screen.

            It was a few minutes before Steven pipped up again, a bit more serious. “You know you’re always welcome to stay at my house, right? Whenever? School day or not.” He stated, and Finn knew this was about Martin.

            “Would Ruby and Sapphire be okay with that?” Finn asked, eyes glancing back to those soft brown he was becoming fond of.

            “Of course. They love you, plus you wouldn’t have to tell them anything if you don’t want to.”

            Right, Ruby was a cop. She likely wouldn’t be happy if he ever got into the kinds of things Martin had done both to him and lurking in the alleys late at night. He really wasn’t a good person in any sense of the word. “I’ll keep that in mind.” It was nice to know he had somewhere to go if he got too overwhelmed. Usually it was Bonnie and Marcy, but he lived so far now that it was more of a hassle than anything, especially on a school day.

            It was another few minutes of comfortable silence and the occasional gurgle of a zombie on screen before Steven perked up again. “Oh! I almost forgot. We’re having a Halloween party next week! You should come. I’m already dragging Connie to it! I don’t know if you have plans yet, but Connie and I are going to go to the school’s haunted house first and then go. It’s next Friday!”

            The only plans Finn was debating was going to a different Halloween party with Marceline and Bonnibel, but he was more than sure not only would it be mostly everyone drinking, but he also thought going with Steven and Connie would be fun. He’d make it up to Marcy and Bonnie later, plus he wasn’t really in the mood to drink at a stranger’s house anyway.

            “I’m free.” The blonde stated, glancing over at Jake. He had a good costume, for the both of them, though it couldn’t be too bad for Jake since he’d still be working, especially on Halloween.

            “Great!” Steven sat up, movie forgotten as he started talking about details excitedly. Finn would hate to admit it, but tuned out most of it. It was cute to watch the other babble, but the cold medicine was already making him more tired anyway. It wouldn’t be the worst to keep it as a surprise would it?


	5. Halloween

            One of the best parts about high school was that on Halloween, it was accepted and even expected for the students to come to school in their costumes. Actual Halloween wasn’t until Saturday, but that didn’t stop the celebrations and parties to start on Friday.

            Halloween seemed to be everyone’s favorite holiday and Steven was inclined to agree. He woke up at 5am just for this. He had already planned with Sapphire ahead of time that they’d wake up early so she could help with his makeup. She was the only one in the house, aside from Amethyst’s occasional, that wore makeup so she was therefore the most skilled. Amethyst on the other hand wore lipstick every day but that was usually it.

            Steven all but bounced from his bed, heading straight for the living room where a robed Sapphire sat, carefully sipping her tea. “Good morning.” She greeted calmly, as if she had been up and waiting for hours now but it was likely only half hour at most.

            The teen slid onto the couch, grin on his face as he glanced over at the makeup. It was always fun to him, dressing up like this, and he’d never turn it down. “Morning.” He greeted back, but it was clear he wanted to get down to it. His aunt chuckled, sensing this as she placed her tea down and grabbed the makeup from the table.

            Even with one working eye, Sapphire was precise, careful, and knew exactly what he wanted, not messing up a single stroke. Steven wasn’t used to wearing makeup, so the foundation always felt heavy, the eyeliner and mascara making his eyes water a bit and sting when he blinked. He was practiced enough not to let his eyes water though and Sapphire always gave him a second when he needed to blink a few times or smack his lips together at the odd feeling.

            Once everything was applied, including fake eyelashes which Steven would never get used to, Sapphire slid over the mirror so he could appreciate her work. He could barely contain his excitement as he saw how done-up he was with soft pinks spread across his lightly tanned skin.

            “I look like my mom!” Steven couldn’t help but point out, staring at himself from every odd angle. The pictures he saw of her usually had her long pink hair when she was younger, or her natural, curly red hair when she was in her military attire, but the face never changed. His eyes flicked up to his aunts and she had a sad smile on her face at the thought. He knew they all missed Rose and felt a bit bad bringing it up now. But instead of say anything, she pulled him into a light hug for a minute.

            “If you need help with the dress, just let me know. I’ll be starting on breakfast.” Sapphire finally said, pulling back from him to put the makeup back in her bag.

            Steven gave her hand an affectionate squeeze before he got up to go get into his costume, a big poofy princess dress. Pearl had helped make it for the past few weeks and got everything perfect; not that she’d accept anything less than perfection anyway. He was more than excited to show it off to his friends. To top the costume off, he dawned a tiara in the mass of curls that made a home at the top of his head.

 

            7:15AM The Crystal Guardians

            S: guess who made it here first~

            C: No way! I absolutely don’t believe you!

            S: come see for yourself!

            F: this is goin down in history.

            F: the day steven beat u!

            C: Not fair! I lost my eyepatch!

            S: :o!! are you wearing what i think you’re wearing??

            C: B)

            F: im lost.

            S: finn you’re going to love it!

            F: lol im sure.

 

            It wasn’t too much longer before Connie did come and join Steven, a bit later than usual, but fully in her costume. Steven had glanced around a few times, some students just staring at him and talking amongst themselves. He ignored it, not caring one big that they didn’t like that he was in a dress. His friends liked it and that’s what mattered. In fact, the first thing out of Connie’s mouth gave him a boost of confidence.

            “Steven! Oh my god you’re so cute!” She bounded over, her Lisa costume in brilliant detail shown. It wasn’t the first time she wore the costume of the main character of The Spirit Morph series, and he was sure it wouldn’t be the last. He always loved this costume of hers.

            “I was right!” Steven pointed at her outfit and she smiled, nodding before sitting next to her best friend. “And thanks. Sapphire helped with the makeup. Amethyst bet it wouldn’t last to lunch, and it _is_ really hard if I want to itch my eye.” He pointed out, a bit of a frown as the urge arose once again. “Oh, and Amethyst doesn’t have class today, if you’re wondering why I got here early.” He teased, bringing it up again and Connie rolled her eyes fondly.

 

            It wasn’t too much longer before Finn showed up as well. The cafeteria had filled out a bit more, but not to the point it’d be before classes were about to begin. There were many students in costume, some not, and some it was hard to tell with. Finn though was in full costume, and it was surprisingly very matching for Steven’s.

            The boy strode up, armor without the helmet and hair in a high ponytail. He was very much dressed as a knight and Jake next to him had his own costume, nothing restrictive or too bulky, but it was very obviously most of a dragon costume, including wings that poked out beneath his service harness. Finn’s eyes lit up when he saw Finn’s costume, a smile sliding onto his features.

            “I was worried for a second that I’d have to go on a journey to find my princess, but I guess he was here the whole time.” The blonde pointed out, taking his seat. He then glanced over at Connie and took a second to look her over before another smile broke his features, “Lisa? From The Sprit Morph Saga, right?”

            It was Connie’s turn to light up at that, it wasn’t a very common and popular series, so someone knowing about it was always exciting. “Yeah! How’d you know? Do you read it?”

            “My friend made me. She’s really into adventure books with strong female characters. I liked it, but I’ve only read the first and skimmed the second.” Finn explained and Steven couldn’t help the small smile that slid onto his lips. He shouldn’t have told Connie he’d only read the first one.

            “Monday, I’m bringing the others, and you’re going to read them.” Connie said, no room to argue but a chuckle came from the blonde anyway which was good.

 

            The day went better than expected. Steven found it became a bit annoying to lug around a heavy dress, but he did stop every once in a while to fix his makeup. The looks he got in the boy’s bathroom were mostly ignored. At least all they did was give him odd looks and avoid him as he applied a new layer of lipstick.

            Finally, classes ended and the three friends, and dog, met up at the front of the school, deciding their current plans.

            “The events at the college start in an hour.” Connie pointed out, looking through her phone for information. “I’m mostly excited for the haunted house!”

            Steven gave a small chuckle, though still a bit nervous for it. He was never the best with scary things, but Amethyst had introduced him to enough scary movies to at least be a bit numb to them. But still, it was a very different experience in person.

            “I haven’t been to a haunted house since I was a kid.” Finn stated, excitement painting his tone.

            Connie gave a small glance back at Steven and he could easily tell it was in concern for the events but he gave her a reassuring smile in return. It couldn’t be that bad anyway.

            The trio decided to walk to the college, not that it was very far away. By the time they made it, the doors were already open and the activities started. There wasn’t too much that they were interested in, especially since they had limited amounts of time before Ruby would come by to pick them up for their own party. With that in mind, Connie dragged her two friends directly to the haunted house

            From the outside, it just looked like a creepy abandoned shack. Their guide was assumedly a student in costume and they were guided through the rooms.

            “Please avoid touching anything, you wouldn’t want the curse to rub off on you. It’s pretty difficult to get rid of a demon’s curse once it latches on.” The student stated, making Steven shiver and press a bit closer to his friends. The other two seemed more than intrigued though, looking around at the nicely decorated hall.

            “My baby!” A costumed woman in a bathtub screamed, crawling out of the tub inhumanly. “Have you seen my baby! Where’s my baby!” She got far too close for comfort, causing Steven to quickly grab onto the closest person to him, it being Finn. The blonde didn’t hesitate to wrap his arm protectively over the smaller teen’s shoulder.

            By the time they got to the last room, one where the guide was ‘stolen’ by a group of zombies, Steven was shaking and clinging to Finn like his life depended on it. The three left through the exit and Connie was completely ecstatic as she bounced on her feet and talked about the detail the house was in. Finn replied to her easily but still kept his arm around Steven who was trying to calm himself down.

            After a bit, the shorter teen felt a bit better, moving to hold onto Finn’s hand instead as they walked to the street to wait for Ruby.

            “You alright?” Finn asked for the fourth time, having not realized how much horror affected the other before. He wouldn’t have agreed to go if he knew it was going to freak him out so much.

            “I’ll be okay.” Steven’s voice was small, his grip on Finn’s hand was tight but it was comforting. Connie looked over at the two apologetically, likely also not realizing it would be such a big deal for the brunet either.

            “At least he has his knight by his side.” Connie pointed out, moving around to grab Steven’s other hand in comfort.

            It was then that Steven paused, staring up at Connie and realizing that the feeling between holding hands with the two was somehow different. Holding hands with Connie was exactly as it’s always been, warm, comforting, and a lot like holding hands with family. On the other hand, quite literally, holding hands with Finn was odd. Warm in a different way, still comforting, but also like there was a spark that when he was calmed enough to think, made his stomach feel like butterflies made a home there.

            Steven didn’t have a lot of time to think before the familiar SUV pulled up in front of the trio. The three slid into the back easily and the smallest teen glanced up to see Ruby’s costume, barely containing a laugh. His aunt was wearing her wife’s scrubs with a stethoscope around her neck. If she was dressed as a nurse… “Let me guess, Sapphire is an officer?” The short red haired aunt gave him a wink in the mirror with a smirk.

 

            It was a short trip back home and Steven no longer needed the comfort as he all but bounced excitedly with the thought of seeing everyone. His hands had long since let go of both of his friends’ and once the car stopped, the trio had slipped out easily.

            Finn looked up at the lit up back yard with wide eyes, “Woah.” He said, taking it in. “How many people do your aunts know?”

            Steven chuckled, heading for the gate, Finn keeping Jake close as they headed in. “It feels like the whole town sometimes. You should have seen my other cousin, everyone loves her.” He pointed out.

            “Yeah Garnet’s the best!” Connie pipped up, glancing around at the party. “When does she get back?”

            Finn found a chair to sit in, letting Jake rest at his side while the two talked in front of him.

            “Forever? She has another year left for her degree. To visit? About two weeks for Thanksgiving break!” Steven grinned before looking back over at the blonde, “You’ll get to meet her! You’re going to love her, she’s going to love you!” There was a slight squeeze in his chest, he really wanted Garnet to meet Finn. He was sure she’d like him; something inside him really wanted her to like him. He instantly became nervous, what if Finn didn’t like her? Or Amethyst? Did he like Steven’s aunts?

            “Bluh!” Amethyst’s voice rang in Steven’s ear and he almost fell back, quickly turning to her as his two friends and cousin began laughing. He gave a small snort, seeing her dressed as a vampire. “Come on losers, you’re missing, like, everything.” She gestured behind herself.

            “Yeah, yeah.” Steven gestured for the other two to follow her towards the party.

 

            The night was over before any of them knew it. At one point, Sapphire insisted upon getting a picture with Finn holding Steven princess style, which only made both of them flush and laugh until it was over.

            After Jake was almost stepped on for the seventh time, and Finn’s social battery was almost completely out, Steven invited him to his room to take a rest. Jake was unclipped and invited to lay down as Finn took a spare controller to destroy the brunet at Mario Kart.

            Finn fell asleep without Steven noticing and he didn’t even bother to ask his aunts if it was alright if the blonde could stay the night. It would save Pearl, the DD, the trouble to drive him anyway.


	6. Settling In

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: The chapter starts with a nightmare of past trauma, nothing too bad but this is a warning. You can skip it if you need.
> 
> Oh my gosh I'm so sorry it's taken me so long to get this out. My PTSD got really bad for a while and my chronic pain spread to my hands so writing was impossible for a bit. I'm jumping back onto this fic though so it should be coming out at a mildly regular pace. Thank you for staying with me! This is kind of a cushion chapter right before a big one so it doesn't have a lot of depth but enough. I didn't want to get super into Garnet until it's Steven's POV again so cushy cute (mild sad) chapter until then!

            The streetlights were carefully spaced apart from each other, leaving the world inside of the car in flashes as they passed. The look on Martin’s face was far more serious than Finn had ever seen him.

            “It’s good to finally see you again.” Finn smiled at the large man, but not a single part of him reacted. His eyes stayed on the road, lips in a straight line. This was the longest he’d seen his father in the past thirteen years, usually staying home alone as his father worked some kind of job he never formally explained to his son.

            The fingers of Finn’s right arm drew odd patterns in the fog on his window as he waited. His brain flashed danger signals everywhere, but he couldn’t figure out why. What was so dangerous about being in the car with Martin? He was finally happy after all these years; he’d finally spend time with his father. There was nothing dangerous around.

            “I was thinking. Maybe we could get a dog?” Most families had dogs, right? And his father wasn’t planning on leaving again, but maybe if he did it’d be less lonely around with a dog. Again, there was no reaction from Martin, just the same blank look. His heart-rate started to pick up without his consent, danger signs flashing louder. “Dad?” He tried, eyes glancing out the windshield to stare out at the large expense of dark road and snow. “Dad?” He tried again, louder and the only reaction was Martin stepping on the gas, venturing into dangerous speeds for a snowstorm.

            Finn’s fingernails dug into the side of the door and the seat under him. His voice became a chant to call to his father over and over again, but nothing was getting through to him.

 

            The blonde sat up quickly, breath coming out hard and Jake already setting to work grounding him. Sweat dripped from his forehead as his eyes quickly darted around the vaguely familiar surroundings that made up Steven’s room. He was trying to separate his nightmare from the reality where he was safe, but it wasn’t instant.

            It was a minute before he registered that Steven was worriedly perched on his bed, not wanting to touch him and scare him, but also obviously wanting to help. This wasn’t how Finn thought he’d start this break. It was a silent few minutes as the blonde collected himself, finally calming down enough to run his hand along Jake’s side and then through his own hair.

            Once he noticed that his friend was calming down, Steven got up quickly and headed out the door. He came back with a cup and handed it over quietly, keeping his eye on the other. Finn gratefully took the cup and drank some water before getting up completely.

            “Thanks.” Finn broke the silence, giving a weak smile over to his friend. Steven looked back at him with so many unasked questions that the taller boy gave a soft sigh and sat on the bed next to him. “It was… Just a nightmare.” He explained. There was a lot of untreated territory between the two boys still, the nightmares Finn sometimes got being one of them. They tended to get worse the longer Martin stayed home, the man was going on three weeks without leaving now. Finn thought it best to spend as much time as he could at Steven’s house, but that meant more and more opportunities for the other to see the blonde in bad shape.

            “You can talk about it… If you want, that is.” The shorter of the two went for a reassuring smile, but the worry still leaked through.

            “Thanks, maybe later.” Is all Finn could think to reply. The silence between them was tense before a loud banging could be heard from the room next door. As much as Amethyst tried to be weary of loud sounds for Finn’s sake, nothing stopped her excitement in the moment. Before either boy could blink, Steven’s door flew open and a grinning, flailing Amethyst busted through.

            “Steven! Garnet’s here! Er, well will be!” Amethyst’s hair dye was still in her hair, threatening to fall out of its clips and stain a wall if she wasn’t careful. She turned her phone around, showing the text from her sister, eyes lit up. “I have to get Pearl up!”

            Before either boy could react, the college girl was gone, assumedly off to go wake up Pearl. Finn glanced back at Steven and watched his face go from excited to nervous in an instant. The shorter boy frowned, obviously deep in thought.

            “If she’s even half as rad as you, I’m going to love her.” Finn found himself saying, a comforting smile on his lips. That got Steven’s attention, bringing those brown eyes back to him before a grin lit up his face altogether.

            “Half? She’s at least twice, if not ten times more rad than me!”

            “What? That’s not even possible; you’re the radest person I know.” The two boys looked at each other before chuckling and getting up so they could get ready for the day.

 

            The moment Finn and Steven got back inside from letting Jake out, the shorter boy was immediately pulled into a hug by a very tall woman. All Finn could do was paused and stare as Steven was first surprised before quickly belting into the hug and hugging back tightly.

            “Garnet!”

            “Steven!” She responded, finally letting him out of her hug before she turned to Finn. She was tall and intimidating but radiated familial warmth even as she looked to the stranger in front of her. “And you must be Finn, I’ve heard so much about you.” She moved to hold out her arms, inviting him for a hug without pushing. The blonde took the opportunity though and went right for the hug, chuckling lightly.

            “I didn’t know Steven talked about me to you.” Finn said, pulling back from the hug after a few seconds. Garnet glanced between the two of them, her mismatched eyes pausing on Steven before a cheeky smile slid onto her lips.

            “He’s not the only one.” Her gaze returned to Finn after she successfully made her cousin flush, “Everyone here loves you.” And that managed to make a flush come to Finn’s cheeks as well. He knew everyone who lived here was nice, but to talk about him to another family member. Especially enough to make her think they love him? That was a new level.

            “I... Uh... Thanks.” He found himself replying.

            “You’re welcome to stay here over the break too.” Garnet pointed out.

            “Oh.” Finn paused, glancing over to Steven, unsure how much he knew about his home situation and how much he told his family. He glanced back at the tall, tattooed woman, “I mean, I have a house nearby.”

            “You’re still welcome to come if you want.” She assured, glancing back over to Steven, “And you. You’ve gotten taller, it’s only been a few months.” She grinned, ruffling his hair which made the smile come back to his own face. “At this rate, you’ll get even taller than me.”

            Finn couldn’t help but laugh at that. Before Garnet got here, the blonde was the tallest aside from Pearl, and Steven is definitely the shortest aside from Ruby. But he was getting taller, that was for sure.

            “I’m sure I will.” Steven joked back before glancing over at Finn, “Well we better get to breakfast, and then I promised Finn I’d show him the arcade!” The four began to walk down the hall toward the kitchen.

            “Oh? A date?” Garnet hummed, lifting her brows at her cousin. Her words made both boys flush, Steven almost choking as he did.

            “I- No! Connie’s going to be there!” Steven argued, clearly flustered, which only seemed to amuse Garnet.

            “I was only joking.” The tall woman chuckled, glancing back at Finn. It was almost as if the eye tattoo on her forehead was looking into him as she assessed the both of them. Not in a judgmental way, Finn could tell.

 

            Finn grossly misinterpreted how cold it’d be. The fall had been pretty warm so he didn’t even think to bring a jacket when staying at Steven’s house. Now they sat outside the arcade, waiting for Connie, and the blonde was shivering like he’d seen a ghost.

            “Are you sure you don’t want to go inside to wait?” Steven asked, frowning.

            “I left my phone at your house and yours is dead, Connie wouldn’t know where we are if she got here and we weren’t waiting.” Finn pointed out, the shiver present in his voice.

            The shorter boy was quiet a minute before he slipped off his coat and hung it around Finn’s shoulders. He paused, glancing back at Steven who shrugged, “I’m wearing a long-sleeved shirt, and I run warm anyway. Just take it.” He crossed his arms in defiance and Finn gave a small smile, slipping the pink Jacket over his arms. It was far, far warmer than his t-shirt could ever hope to be.

            “Thanks.” Finn smiled, leaning back against the bench as they waited. It wasn’t too much longer before Connie came jogging down the sidewalk, panting.

            “Sorry I made you wait. I tried calling but neither of you answered.” She flopped down on the bench next to them, giving a wave to Jake to acknowledge he was there.

            “Phone’s at home, Steven’s is dead.” Finn shrugged, “At least you’re responsible.”

            “Honestly if you guys didn’t have me, neither of you would survive.” Connie chuckled, not commenting on the borrowed coat, but stood up again. “Alright, Finn, time to crush you.”

            Finn hopped up, quickly followed by Steven. “Oh yeah? I’m master level! Just try me!”

            “I think you’re both forgetting the real master here.” Steven put his hand to his chest.

            “You wish!” Connie called, already heading toward the entrance with the other two.

            Their first stop was, of course, Meat Beat Mania. Steven scored moderately, Connie very impressively, and Finn was last, managing an even worse score than Steven. The three laughed about it nonetheless, having fun than a flaming competition. They scored similarly in most of the other games, with Steven or Connie coming in first. It was clear the two visited this place a good bit, at least in the past, and it was nice to be included even if Finn wasn’t the best at the games yet. He started thinking of all the places in Ooo he could take the two if they ever visited.

            “You’re completely cheating!” Finn laughed, putting the gun of the video game down.”

            “What! No way!” Steven chuckled back, crossing his arms, “How?”

            “You’ve got two arms! Definitely cheating.” Finn insisted, moving on with the group.

            “Oh no! You’re right!” Steven grinned, moving on to the basketball game.

            The three stepped up, laughing to themselves before Connie volunteered to go and grab some snacks since it was nearing lunch time. Her two friends waved her off before putting in their tokens.

            “This is always the worse one. Connie and I do it last because we’re both bad at it.” Steven pointed out as he grabbed a ball, trying to line up the shot, to no avail as it bounced off the rim.

            “This? No way, it’s the easiest one.” Finn grabbed a ball, easily making a basket which made Steven’s face light up instantly.

            “What! Show me your moves, oh great one.” The brunet grabbed another ball and moved to line up the shot. He was about to shoot before Finn gave a small snort and touched his arm.

            “Your form’s all wrong man, here let me.” With that, the blonde crouched down a bit, putting his arms over Steven’s to guide them into a better spot. The shorter boy flushed at that, trying to pay attention as he was guided. “And that should be good.” Finn pulled back.

            After collecting himself, Steven shot the ball and missed again, laughing as he did. “I guess I just wasn’t built for the game.” He shrugged.

            “Maybe.” Finn chuckled back, shoving his hands into his pockets, “Let’s find Connie and get some real lunch after we turn in our tickets.”

            Steven agreed, leading the taller boy out of the arcade to find their third.

 

            When Finn got home, he put the pink lion plush down on his side table, smiling lightly to himself. Steven picked it out for him and he picked out a penguin for the other. They both picked something for Connie and she got them each something in return. As cute as the little sword keychain was, it couldn’t compare to the lion. He hung it on his keys anyway.

            As he laid down, Finn sighed, glancing back at his locked bedroom door. Don’t get him wrong, he wanted to go to Steven’s for Thanksgiving, but he didn’t know if he really belonged there either. Garnet was nice though, she didn’t seem to hate him so there was that. He smiled lightly to himself, turning onto his side to face Jake. Steven’s family may not officially be his, but it was feeling more and more like his own.


End file.
